


Of Snapshots and Memories

by frostysunflowers



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Couch Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Ending, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Irondad, Light Angst, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, One Big Happy Family, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Precious Peter Parker, Slice of Life, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, told through videos and pictures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostysunflowers/pseuds/frostysunflowers
Summary: There's been plenty of videos and pictures taken of Tony over the years that show nothing but an egotistical, arrogant man with too much money and too much greed. After the snap, the images portray a reformed hero in a formidable suit of iron with the power to topple a titan.The photographs and recordings that Peter gathers together paint an entirely different picture.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lizzybizzyzzz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzybizzyzzz/gifts).



> So apparently I can't go very long without writing a slice of life fic haha. Believe it or not it's actually a completely separate thing from my other stories! 
> 
> Couple of things: Though featuring all the Iron fam, this is primarily a Peter and Tony story. It isn’t a fic that covers all the moments but rather things that the characters would choose to look back on, so there won’t be a linear timeline if that makes sense. It’s meant to have gaps, as there wouldn’t be recordings of everything nor would every moment be included as people just don’t do that in real life (cos real life is important in fanfiction obviously hahaha) so I hope it isn’t too…messy? The alternating numbers for the pics and videos are meant to reflect the passage of time as well as the fact that they come from different sources, like Happy would have way less pictures on his phone compared to Peter etc so I hope that comes across well. 
> 
> Harley, though having a close relationship with Tony, still has his own life in Tennessee with his mom etc so he isn’t around all the time, therefore there is more evidence of Peter in this. I always imagined them staying in touch but not actually seeing each other that often, especially when all the stuff with Ultron, the accords etc went down, so that is factored into this too. Same with Nebula being off world a lot doing her thing so yeah...anyway!
> 
> Gifting this to lizzybizzyzzz because the fic 'A Film by Peter Parker (and Tony Stark)' is one of my ultimate favourites and is so amazing and served as the inspiration for this so yeah, hope you like it! 
> 
> Apologies for all errors!

The sun is high in the sky and the air is heavy with warmth. The yard of the cabin is a sea of decorations. Banners hang from the porch, strings of fairy lights loop from tree to tree and the outside dining table has been added to so that it can seat a ridiculously vast amount of people and is covered with a pretty tablecloth and colourful napkins and plates. On the lake sits an impressive collection of inflatables which include a large flamingo and a rather happy looking shark.

Accompanying this is a chorus of voices that blend into a medley of laughter and playful yelling and childish shrieks. The splashing of water is prominent, as is the clinking of glasses and the scent of hot, delicious food. Scott and Cassie are leading the charge in an epic water pistol battle, sending the Barton children, Thor, Quill and Wanda fleeing into the trees where Tony knows Rocket and Groot are lying in wait. Pepper and Happy are stood by a fold out table, putting the finishing touches to a vast collection of salads, playfully shooing away a lurking Mays whenever she makes a try for a hunk of carrot or cucumber. Nat, Bruce and Sam are mixing various drinks, arguing over the correct amount of liquor for each one whilst Steve and Bucky go about constructing a safety area for the fireworks that will be set off that evening.

Even Strange is here, chatting with Wong and T’Challa, his ever-faithful cloak swaying lazily nearby.

The splashing from the lake grows louder as Harley and Morgan, who are sat together on a rubber ring, kick their legs furiously and move along at a ridiculously slow speed, leaving Nebula to watch them peacefully from the dock.

As family gatherings go, it’s pretty impressive.

Tony stands on the porch, leaning just by the steps, and watches the hubbub with a soft smile on his face. The scars on his right cheek glint silver in the sunlight and the gleam of his artificial arm is almost blinding to anyone who looks his way.

''Hey, Tin Can!'' Clint shouts from where he stands with Rhodey by the barbeque, waving a pair of tongs at him. ''You wanna turn the brightness down on that thing?''

Tony smirks and adjusts the angle of his arm, sending a flare of light right into Clint’s eyes. The man swears at him before laughing loudly. Rhodey looks over at him and shakes his head fondly, the smile on his face betraying any pretence of irritation. Tony chuckles as Dum-E reaches out to tentatively help Rhodey turn the vegetable and chicken kebabs that sit on the grill, trilling happily as Rhodey praises him like a beloved pet.

Another glance around alerts Tony to the missing presence of one very vital member of their strange little family and he’s about to inquire as to the whereabouts of said member when something lands beside him, giving him a bright grin.

Tony reaches over to ruffle Peter’s hair. ''Was wondering where you got to, kiddo.''

''Sorry. I was just getting something ready.''

At Tony’s intrigued look, Peter motions for Tony to follow him into the house. Inside is a bit of a disaster zone; discarded water toys and odd pairs of shoes linger near the doorway; mixing bowls and chopping boards sit on the kitchen counters and a box of unused decorations has toppled over, spilling its jazzy contents out onto the floor. Tony doesn’t give it much thought as Peter leads him to the couch and sits beside him. Tony leans back, watching with a patient smile on his face as the kid fidgets awkwardly.

''You okay there, bud?''

Tony regards him with fond bemusement. It’s been a while since Peter was this shy; though naturally awkward, Tony knows that it takes a lot these days to make the kid truly squirm.

''Either you got ants in your pants, Pete, or there’s something you wanna tell me.''

''Right, right,'' Peter says and gives his head a little shake, curls flopping with the movement. ''Well not tell so much as show, um…'' he takes a deep breath. ''So, it’s your birthday.''

''It is.''

''And I wanted to get you something…well, I know you’ve got all these awesome presents,'' he waves a hand to a table which is covered in beautifully wrapped gifts of all shapes and sizes, ''and I didn’t know what to get you so…Imadeyousomething.''

Tony has to rewind the words in his head before he can decipher what’s just been said. He nods and gives Peter an encouraging smile.

''Well don’t just sit there, kid. Give me the goods.''

''Yeah, okay, um…FRIDAY?''

_''Yes, Peter?''_

''Show the opening card from the video B-DAY please?''

_''You got it.''_

An image comes into life above the surface of the holographic table that sits in the middle of the room. It’s a picture of a film slate and on it, written in Peter’s messy scrawl, are the words:

'' – The Iron Dad Chronicles?'' Tony raises an eyebrow at the title as he reads it aloud.

An impish smile pulls at Peter’s face then, momentarily erasing the anxious grimace, and he leans away as Tony swats at him and mutters something about him being a 'disrespectful Spider-baby' before he settles back in, automatically leaning in close to Tony.

''It’s, erm, well, a bunch of stuff really, you’ll see. We all chose some things to include.''

''We?''

''Yeah. Me, Harley, Nebula and Morgan. I mean, it’s mainly, uh, me, but I thought they should have an input too.''

Tony’s heart does its usual funny little flutter at the thought of the four of them together.

''And when have these sneaky little discussions been taking place?''

Peter shrugs. ''Here and there. Usually when you take a nap on the couch on Saturday afternoons.''

Tony cuffs him round the head, actually catching the tips of his curls this time. ''Hey, those aren’t naps, kiddo. They’re a lifestyle choice. It’s Saturday today and look, see, me not napping.''

''Whatever you say, Tony.''

Tony playfully glares at him. ''I liked you better when you were a young, impressionable Spider-baby who called me Mister Stark all the time.''

Peter rolls his eyes. ''You know, FRIDAY chose some things too.''

''Oh, she did, huh?'' Tony places a hand to his chest. ''Honey, how could you sneak around behind my back like that?''

_''I merely selected some of the most suitable options from the criteria that Peter provided,''_ FRIDAY replies, managing to sound somewhat indignant. '' _T_ _here was no sneaking.''_

Tony smirks. ''Don’t worry, FRI. I trust you.''

'' _So you should.''_

Tony raises a delighted eyebrow at the sass, looking all kinds of proud.

''So…do you wanna see?''

''Lay it on me, kid.'' Tony throws his arms out in acceptance before cosying down into the cushions, lowering his shoulder for the kid to lean into as he does the same.

''FRIDAY?''

_''Yes, Peter?''_

''You ready to go?''

_''Ready and waiting.''_

Peter gives Tony a wobbly smile and exhales heavily.

''Hit it!''


	2. Chapter 2

The holographic projection moves onto the wall and a gentle instrumental piece of music starts up just as the video begins to play.

A grainy image comes into focus. The lab from Tony’s mansion in Malibu is cluttered, covered in all manner of half-finished pieces of tech and coffee cups. AC/DC is playing loudly. 

In the corner, Tony crouches in front of a mess of electrical components. He tosses a few to the side and grabs a wrench, throws that aside too and reaches for a screwdriver.

Dum-E rolls into view and the music drops as JARVIS reminds Tony of the time. Dum-E extends his arm and takes hold of Tony’s shirt, pulling insistently as he beeps at the man.

''Yeah, yeah,'' Tony gripes, not looking up. ''I know what time it is.''

Dum-E continues to tug at his shirt for a minute before his claw creeps up Tony’s arm and plucks at his hair.

''Ow!'' Tony ducks away, lifting a hand to rub at the sore spot. The glare he gives the bot immediately softens a little as Dum-E trills gently at him, sounding sad.

''Alright, you mechanical puppy,'' Tony snorts, reaching out to rub one of Dum-E’s pincers as he stands up, fingers skipping softly across the metal fixture. ''You really wanna get rid of me that bad, huh?''

Dum-E makes a screeching sound, like he’s offended, and jolts forward, front wheels catching the edges of Tony’s shoes, making the man laugh.

**CUT**

The screen is a hazy white. Hacking coughs can be heard over the sound of distressed trilling.

''Are you alright, Sir?'' JARVIS asks.

A hand waves through the smoky foam. ''Just – peachy – fu – '' he dissolves into more coughing. ''Goddamnit, Dum-E, you useless hunk of – ''

The camera moves back as Tony lurches into sight, covered in foam with a graze above his eye and a string of wires around his shoulders. Dum-E hums loudly as he retreats, camera dipping so he’s looking up at Tony. The man looms over him for a moment before something flickers on his face, wiping the anger away and replacing it with something more broken, almost startled and regretful.

He freezes and the camera stops moving backwards, bobbing upwards and closer towards Tony as he heaves out a breath and clicks his fingers a few times.

''Just…'' he levels an empty glare at the camera, ''don’t do that again, alright?''

A gentle robotic coo answers him. Tony reaches out and touches something just out of sight.

''Good boy.''

**CUT**

Tony’s sleeping face is pinched and creased. He’s sprawled on the battered couch in the lab, body sunken into the worn cushions.

The camera moves in close, a happy chirping whispering over the whirr of a motor. Tony’s face almost fills the entire screen.

For two minutes, the camera remains still. The only noise is the odd beep or trill.

Tony stirs and opens his eyes a fraction. They lock onto the camera and blow wide as he screams. The camera rears back with a loud squeal and everything goes blurry.

**CUT**

Down in the lab, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is playing over the speakers. The surveillance feed shows Rhodey standing beside Tony. He’s talking to the back of Tony’s head as the man plays with something on the holographic table. Then, Rhodey’s head jerks in surprise.

''Tones…what the hell is he doing?''

Tony glances up, looks at Rhodey, then looks over to where he’s pointing.

''He’s dancing, _obviously,''_ he scoffs, giving Rhodey a playfully scathing look. ''All that G-force scrambled your brains or something, honeybear?''

The feed flickers and then Dum-E appears, hovering by the blender as it pulses something green into a thick liquid. His arm is bobbing up and down out of time to the beat and his lower body is swaying jerkily from side to side. He lets out a series of loud beeps as the words 'we will not let you go' ring out through the lab repeatedly.

''Nice moves, buddy!'' Tony yells and Dum-E squeals something in return.

**CUT**

A blonde woman holding a microphone is standing outside a movie theatre. She is talking animatedly, nearly shouting over the frantic screaming of the crowd. Lights flash brightly and the odd beeping of a car horn cuts across the audio every few seconds.

''And here we have Mister Tony Stark himself, accompanied by what appears to be a young boy. Can we just – ''

The camera pulls closer on Tony as he heads up the red carpet, arm wrapped protectively around the child at his side. The smile on his face is charming yet reserved and he tucks the boy a little closer as the reporter appears beside them.

''Hello, Mister Stark, so nice to see you here,'' the reporter gushes, thrusting a large microphone up to his face. ''You must be so pleased with all the work and effort that’s gone into this production.''

Tony gives an easy shrug. ''Hey, any movie featuring the work of my old man during the war was always gonna be a point of interest for me.''

''And how does Captain Rogers feel about the movie?''

''Ah, you’ll have to ask him yourself,'' Tony replies, jerking his head back. ''Though you might have to wait a while as last I saw, he was being accosted by several members of his fan club.''

The head by his side tilts up and immediately captures his attention, causing him to look down. ''What’s up, dude?''

Harley smiles awkwardly, eyeing the microphone warily. ''Nothing, just – '' he gives the reporter a timid glance, '' – walking the red carpet with you.''

''Pretty exciting, huh?''

''Who is your friend accompanying you tonight, Mister Stark?''

It’s a very loaded question, full of insinuation and implication. Harley immediately looks worried but Tony’s smile remains in place as he gives Harley a squeeze.

''This is a future employee for Stark Industries. Harley here is responsible for providing me with a great deal of assistance in the recent past, so I figured, hey, a trip to the movies would be good enough of a reward, right?''

Tony looks down at Harley who just grins and shakes his head. He steps back a little when the microphone swings back down by his face.

''How does it feel to here Tony Stark cite you as a future worker for his company, Harley?''

''Um…'' Harley looks up at Tony again, clearly out of his depth.

''He loves it, he’s gonna do great,'' Tony cuts in, brushing a piece of lint from Harley’s shoulder before turning his body, moving slightly in front of Harley as he starts to guide him away. ''If you’ll excuse us, gotta grab some popcorn before the trailers. He loves those.''

The camera remains on them as they walk away, Tony’s head bent low and Harley nodding as he listens.

**CUT**

PIC 2 features Harley, slightly lanky with feet that look too big, standing at the top of the Empire State Building. His teeth are bared in a huge grin, showing off a mouth of metal, and his hair is blown half across his face in a windswept mess. Next to him is Tony, looking a bit awkward with his arms crossed and mouth set, but there’s no ignoring the amused glint to his eyes as he looks into the camera.

**CUT**

PIC_190 shows Tony wearing a cowboy hat and sitting in a chair in a homely looking kitchen. A young girl with long red hair is sat on his lap and Harley, sporting a face of acne and long shaggy hair, stands on his right side, smiling to reveal a set of dazzling white teeth.

**CUT**

PIC_893 shows a taller Harley standing on the Long Island ferry, bundled up in a thick coat and a woolly hat. His skin is clear and there is a more mature line to his chin. Tony leans against the safety rail, dressed in a stylish green coat, shades on and fingers pointed like guns at the camera.

**CUT**

PIC_912 CAMERA ROLL features a delighted looking Peter sat on a plane. There are a few red marks on his face and the beginnings of a shiner curling around his right eye. Behind him sits Tony, looking pretty worse for wear himself, drink in one hand and phone in the other.

**CUT**

PIC_913 CAMERA ROLL is a blurred image of Peter sitting on the arm of Tony’s chair, looking at him as Tony points to something out of the window. 

**CUT**

The camera is badly hidden, focused on Tony’s knees before it swerves up to his face as the man grabs it.

''What, you doing a little video diary?'' he asks, looking off to the side.

''Yeah…'' is Peter’s hesitant reply.

'''S’alright,'' Tony says just as the camera moves again to catch the back of Happy’s head as the man starts complaining.

''I told him not to do it, he was filming everything, I’m gonna have to wipe the chip – ''

''Hey hey hey hey,'' Tony gently scolds, shifting in his seat as the camera pans back to him. ''You know, we should actually, we should make a little alibi video for your aunt anyway, you ready? You rolling? Here, get in the frame.''

Peter shifts into frame so they’re side by side. Tony removes his sunglasses and smiles charmingly into the camera.

''Hey, May! How you doing?'' he asks as Peter pulls an excited face. ''What are you wearing? Something skimpy I hope!''

Peter scowls at him as Tony ducks his head and giggles. ''Peter, that’s inappropriate. Right, let’s start over, you can edit it.''

The image flickers and skips forward.

Tony and Peter are still in the car.

''Three two one - Hey, May!'' Tony says lightly. ''My gosh. Uh, wanna tell you what an incredible job your nephew did this weekend at the Stark Internship retreat. Everyone was impressed – ''

He’s cut off as a horn beeps and Happy snarls in complaint off screen. ''See? This is ‘cause you’re not as Queens Boulevard.''

It switches to Tony talking about Happy’s management desires before he’s laughing again, then falls onto an awkward looking Peter before it cuts out.

**CUT**

IMG-3 from SCREENSHOTS is a snap of a picture on picture video chat. Harley’s face is in the box in the upper left corner, slightly obscured by some sort of trophy, and Tony’s smirking face fills the rest of the screen.

**CUT**

PIC_1923 is a selfie taken in Tony’s lab. Peter is crouching, the camera high above his head, and he has an arm around Dum-E. The bot’s head is turned to the camera, the screws on either side of his claw looking remarkably like eyes, and his pincers are open like a hand. The smile on Peter’s face is wide and bright and full of excitement.

**CUT**

PIC_1924 is another selfie. Peter is now standing with Dum-E peering over his shoulder. In the background is Tony, focusing on something on the desk in front of him. His hand is lifted in a thumbs up sign.

**CUT**

The skyline of New York is rushing past at an impressive speed. The sky is awash with the burnt glow of the sunset; rays of light bounce off the buildings below and flicker in gentle flares across the footage as it sways from side to side.

The sound of repulsors is faint over the whooshing of air but doesn’t quite cover the delighted heavy breathing and mutters of 'holy shit!' that filter through the feed. 

A long, thick strand of webbing comes into view as the camera pans right, revealing that one end of it is attached to the back of the Iron Man suit. As the suit banks forward a little, the footage rapidly zooms forward as Peter follows the momentum, and soon there’s a startled yelp as he lands bodily against Iron Man’s back. 

''THIS IS SO AWESOME!!'' Peter yells. ''IT’S JUST LIKE THAT SCENE FROM THAT OLD MOVIE WITH THE ALIEN AND THE BIKES!''

''JESUS FUCK!!'' Tony screams, swerving dangerously to the side in shock. ''KID!? WHAT THE – ''

''I asked you for a lift!'' Peter explains, voice lowering as Tony slows down. The image pushes closer and twists as Peter moves to stick his hands onto Tony’s shoulders, one arm hooked over the right one. 

''I didn’t think you – I called Happy to come pick you up!'' Tony replies, voice high in disbelief.

''Oh.''

''Oh? That’s all you have to say? _Oh?_ I swear to god, kid, when we land – ''

''Look, Mister Stark! You can see my school from here!'' The feed whirls to look down at the city below, highlighting the bustling activity that makes it look like a hive of ants hard at work.

''That’s it. You’re grounded.''

The side of the Iron Man helmet comes into view. ''But Mister Stark, how can you ground me when we’re flying?''

''Oh you asked for it, you little – ''

The image blurs and the audio crackles under the force of Peter’s loud screams as Tony pivots and hurtles towards the ground with a devilish laugh.

**CUT**

''Oh, hey, buddy! Is that for me?''

The lab feed shows Tony whirling around just as Peter accepts a mug from Dum-E.

''Don’t drink that, kid!'' Tony shoves his chair over and grabs the mug. He takes a sniff and cringes. ''Yep. Motor oil. Seriously, Dum-E, you and that blender – ''

''Aw, don’t tell him off, Mister Stark,'' Peter says as Dum-E’s arm droops low with a sad whir. ''He was trying to be nice.''

Tony snorts and holds the mug back out to Dum-E. ''Trying to poison you, more like. Useless bot.''

There’s no malice in his voice but Peter still looks aghast. ''Useless? No way, Mister Stark, he’s like a real life R2-D2!''

Tony shakes his head but there’s no hiding the pleased smile on his face.

**CUT**

The camera lingers on Dum-E as he leans closer to the laptop screen with a curious whirr. There’s a pause before the bot whirrs even louder with excitement at what he sees.

''What are you doing?''

The camera moves over to where Tony is standing.

''Showing Dum-E videos of Oppy!''

Tony frowns. ''Oppy? Who the hell – '' his face smooths in realisation. ''The robot on Mars?''

Peter grins. ''Yeah!''

The view pivots back to capture Dum-E beeping joyfully and wriggling as Opportunity appears on the laptop screen. Tony stares at them incredulously, makes an odd sort of noise that could almost be a laugh and moves to pat Dum-E affectionately on the arm, his other hand disappearing above the camera from where a funny ruffling sound can be heard along with Peter’s shy chuckle.

**CUT**

The video shows a bustling airport. Everything is moving quickly as the person recording hurries along, excited little breaths audible above the background chatter.

A row of people holding signs with names on comes into view. Dead centre is Happy, looking decidedly fed up as he holds up a piece of card that says ‘Keener’ on it in big black letters. Beside him, wearing shades and dressed in a trendy jacket, is Tony.

The video shakes a little as Harley’s excited voice yells ''Tony!''

Tony looks around, spots him, and grins.

**CUT**

IMG_9 features Harley standing in Tony’s lab, a gigantic smile on his face. Tony stands behind him, a hand palming his left cheek and eyes closed in exasperation.

**CUT**

The surveillance feed in the lab at the compound shows Peter emerging from the elevator, a gift bag in his hands.

His face is bright as he says ''Hey, Mister – '' and then falls slightly as he looks over at the two figures hunched over the scattered pieces of a car engine. ''Erm…''

''Oh, hey, Pete!'' Tony looks up and waves a spanner in greeting. ''Didn’t know you’d be stopping by today.''

Peter just nods, hands moving to hide the bag behind his back. Though the image isn’t perfect, it’s clear to see the flush staining his cheeks.

''This is Harley. Y’know, I told you all about him?'' Tony gives the other boy a hearty slap on the shoulder. Harley rolls his eyes before offering Peter a smile in greeting, one which Peter returns weakly.

''Harley’s gonna be staying for the week, I told you that, right?''

''No…but, uh, that’s awesome!'' Peter cheers lamely.

He awkwardly sits down on the battered couch in the corner of the lab, bag clutched tightly in his hands, and proceeds to watch the other two as they flit around the engine, passing tools back and forth and gesturing at each other. Peter doesn’t move for seven whole minutes.

There’s a burst of static and then the feed cuts to Peter hurrying through the compound, only pausing in the communal kitchen to leave the gift bag on the counter. The camera in the left-hand corner catches Tony running up behind him and grabbing him by the arm, pulling so that Peter is facing him.

For some reason, there’s no audio but it’s clear to see that Tony is talking loudly, making Peter flinch away a little, looking exceedingly embarrassed and sad. Tony’s shoulders drop and he reaches up to thread a hand into Peter’s curls, angling the hold so the kid’s cheek presses against the inside of his forearm.

Whatever he says makes Peter’s face crumple and he pulls the kid in for a hug, the hand in his hair rubbing gently back and forth. Harley appears in the shot and, after a hesitant pause, comes to stand close by. Peter looks at him and quickly brushes his tears away, mouth moving furiously and hands twisting anxiously. Harley places a hand on his shoulder and says something which makes Peter laugh, and a proud smile appears on Tony’s lips as he watches the two of them.

He steps away to retrieve the gift bag and begins to curiously dig inside.

**CUT**

The video is being filmed from the back seat of a car. Tony is driving and Peter is sat in the passenger seat, head bobbing along to the music that plays from the speakers. Stark Tower looms high in the distance outside the window.

''I want you to take me to - FUNKY TOOOWN!!''

Harley’s shout has Tony jumping and the car swerving to the left momentarily while Peter cracks up and looks back with a huge smile.

**CUT**

''WHOA WHOA WHOA HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT – ''

Harley’s yells coming from off-screen are piercingly loud over the audio. The city rushes past the camera and there’s the occasional glimpse of an arm shooting out a streak of webbing to the nearest available surface.

''THIS IS FUCKING CRAZY – ''

''DUDE!'' Peter’s voice is strained. ''You need to stop shouting in my ear.''

Harley stops yelling and then his face appears.

''Oh my g – is – that voice – ''

''Oh sh – ''

''Peter is that you oh my fucking god – ''

The penthouse balcony of the tower comes into view, along with Tony who is standing by the rail, arms folded and looking displeased.

''Tony!!'' Harley’s voice is loud as the camera dips down to look at a pair of red-clad feet before lifting up again. Harley is inches away from Tony, pointing back towards the camera.

''THAT’S FUCKING PETER!!''

Tony sighs. ''Yes, idiot, I know it’s – great job with the secret identity, Parker.''

The camera jolts as Tony glares. ''It wasn’t my fault!'' Peter protests shrilly.

**CUT**

The clip is taken from a news report.

''- and in other news, local hero Spider-Man was seen swinging through the city with a companion this afternoon.''

Footage taken from a camera phone plays: Spider-Man swings past in a wide arc with Harley wrapped around him like a koala, screaming his head off.

''No news yet on just who the boy is but eyewitnesses say they saw Spider-Man save him from being hit by a van just outside Central Park moments before this footage was taken. We now go live to – ''

**CUT**

'' **–** I promise you, Ms Keener – _Rachel,_ right – that Harley wasn’t in any danger. Spider-Man is a friend of the Avengers, he’s a great guy – no, no I don’t think he’s willing to do _that -_ ''

Tony pauses as Harley’s mom speaks on the other end of the phone and glowers over at the camera.

**CUT**

The feed from the medical wing in the tower shows a weakly struggling Peter on a gurney. His suit is half off and there’s blood on the sheets beneath him. Helen Cho and another nurse are in the middle of administering an IV and Tony is stood beside Peter, a hand pressed against his forehead as Peter cries softly. 

''It’s okay, kid, you’re okay.''

'' _Hurts – ''_

''I know, buddy,'' Tony’s hand moves into Peter’s hair as he shushes him.

''The drugs should be kicking in any moment now,'' Helen says, giving Peter’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Peter lets out another groan and clutches at Tony’s shirt. ''Feel…gross…''

Tony reaches up to grab the hand and holds it tightly, moving his head so that Peter is looking directly at him.

''Just let the drugs do their thing, alright?'' he murmurs softly. ''Then before you know it, you’ll be swinging around and giving me a heart attack again in no time.''

Peter moans again, voice slurred and eyes drooping. Tony smiles at him and continues to card his fingers through Peter’s curls.

''Just let go, Underoos, I gotcha, it’s okay…''

Peter’s body relaxes then, sinking into the bed with a grumble that only makes the affectionate smile on Tony’s face grow bigger. He shares a look with Helen, gives Peter’s hand one more squeeze and steps back. He remains in the room the entire time.

**CUT**

The image is dark and there’s heavy rustling before a sharp yelp cuts across the audio.

''Why are you yelling?!'' Peter gasps loudly.

Harley’s harsh voice comes out of the darkness as a light falls onto his face. ''Why are you filming?!''

''I can’t find the torch app on my phone!''

Harley groans, running a hand through his unruly hair. ''For fu – AHH!!''

He topples out of sight with a shriek as something flutters past the light and into his face. A second later, something with wings flies directly at the camera and it falls to the floor as Peter yells, everything going black.

Then there’s the sound of a door opening and a switch being flicked as the phone is scooped up, revealing Tony standing in the doorway.

''What _the hell_ are you two doing?'' Tony’s voice is cold, tired, warning.

The darkness falls away to show Tony standing in the bedroom doorway, rumpled and unimpressed.

''There…was…a moth?'' Harley says from off to the side in a high voice.

Tony glares at him, glares at Peter, then shuts the door, leaving the beam coming from the phone as the only source of light once again. It moves over to shine just below Harley’s chin.

''He’s pissed,'' Peter whispers.

''Forget him, where the hell did the moth go?'' Harley snaps.

A moment later, the phone clatters to the floor again as the moth makes another move for the light.

**CUT**

The video from in the lab shows Tony working on something at his desk. A shadow of movement shows Peter creeping across the ceiling, a gigantic grin on his face. He pauses just above Tony, holds his position for a moment, before adjusting his body so he is standing upside down, face level with the back of Tony’s head.

''Hey, Mister Stark!''

Tony turns abruptly and squawks as he falls back against the desk in surprise. Peter laughs in delight before scurrying away, barely dodging the spanner that Tony throws after him.

**CUT**

PIC 567 is a selfie taken in Central Park. Peter is at the front with Harley pressed in close beside him. Behind them stands a confused but still suave looking Tony and a disgruntled Happy. All of them are holding a churro.

**CUT**

PIC 578 is a selfie or Spider-Man and Iron Man. They appear to be up somewhere high in the city. Spider-Man’s eyes are crinkled in the corners, suggesting that he’s smiling under the mask, and he’s making the peace sign with his left hand. Iron Man is pointing at Spider-Man with one hand, his other arm hooked over the young superhero’s shoulders.

**CUT**

''Mister Stark?''

Tony looks up into the camera and rolls his eyes, turning away. Peter pokes him with the toes of his left foot and snorts when Tony swats at him.

''Mister Staaaark.''

''Jeez, kid,'' Tony grunts. ''You wanted to watch a movie, so we’re watching a movie. I was even generous enough to let you _pick_ the movie, and now you really wanna tell me that after watching you struggle to make a decision for nearly an hour, you’d rather sit there and film me?''

There’s a pause as Tony stares incredulously at the camera. Whatever he sees looking back at him makes an exasperated smile appear.

''You’re a pain in the ass, kid,'' he says and covers the camera with his hand.

**CUT**

IMG_42 is of Peter and Tony sleeping on the couch. Tony is fully stretched out on his back, one arm above his head, the other loosely wrapped around Peter, holding him close to his side. Peter has one hand up by his chin and the other resting just next to the space where Tony’s arc reactor used to be.

**CUT**

IMG_43 shows the same scene, except with Rhodey pulling a ridiculous kissy face beside them.

**CUT**

Everything is black.

''Did you get it?''

Lots of shuffling and an irritated sigh.

''How does this even – ''

''Your finger is covering the lens.''

There’s more shuffling and then a rush of colour. The swirling image quickly captures Rhodey stretched out on a small couch and Pepper sleeping in a hospital bed before it shifts again to reveal Tony sitting in a chair. He’s dressed in a faded sweatshirt and tatty jeans and there’s a small bundle held closely to his chest. The camera zooms in, revealing the small, delicate face of a baby girl.

''There she is,'' Happy coos and Tony snorts at him.

''Happy Hogan, reduced to goo by a baby,'' he teases. ''Who would have thought it?''

There’s a pause. Tony is looking just over the camera, face unsmiling but eyes sparkling brightly with mirth as Happy huffs in disgruntlement. Tony looks back down at the baby, face immediately softening into an expression of pure adoration. The camera remains on them for a while before switching off.

**CUT**

IMG_11 is of Tony holding baby Morgan with a tired but no less beautiful Pepper sitting up in bed beside him. Lines of weariness mar his face but the beaming smile more than makes up for them.

**CUT**

IMG_13 features Tony, Rhodey and Happy squashed together on the chair. Rhodey is sitting in the middle, holding Morgan and cooing down at her. Tony is perched to his left with an arm over the back of the chair and his other hand cupping the baby’s head gently. Happy’s face is a creased, tearful grimace.

**CUT**

IMG_15 shows Nebula sitting in a chair, spine ridiculously straight and arms bent stiffly as she holds Morgan. Tony sits on the arm, shoulder pressing gently against hers as they both gaze down at the baby.

**CUT**

PIC_231 from album MORGAN shows a baby Morgan, peering up at Tony’s face with big, enchanted eyes, pacifier seemingly moving in furious concentration as he looks down at her just as intently, strong arms curled around her protectively.

The chair is tilted mid-rock as they stare at one another, locked away in a reverent and delicate moment of peace. 

On a shelf behind the chair, a picture of a smiling Peter watches over them.

**CUT**

PIC_300 from album MORGAN is of Harley holding Morgan in his lap, one armed wrapped around her whilst the other dances a Spider-Man plushie across her lap. Her eyes are wide and she’s reaching for it curiously. The smile on Harley’s face is genuine but the light in his eyes is sad.

**CUT**

PIC_401 from album MORGAN features Tony covered in pureed broccoli, holding a spoon and grimacing in disgust. His one open eye glares into the camera. Morgan, sitting in her highchair, has her green hands pressed together and mouth open in glee.

**CUT**

''Gently, easy – careful or I’ll make good on that offer to donate you to – that’s it, steady…''

The video shows Morgan’s face close up. She’s in her walker with her head tilted far back to gaze up at the camera. There’s a chorus of whirrs and beeps and a clicking sound and she beams gummily.

''You like him, huh? You like Dum-E?''

The camera lifts to look at Tony. The man has bags under his eyes and there’s a tightness to his skin that isn’t from the smile he’s wearing.

''Dum dum dum,'' Morgan hums, dragging the last letter out before blowing a raspberry.

Tony chuckles as the bot trills delightedly. He bends to kiss the baby and gives Dum-E a fond pat on the arm.

**CUT**

VID_250 is from inside the living room. Tony, dressed in an expensive looking suit, is reclining on the couch with Morgan leaning against his chest. Their faces are inches apart and Tony is nodding seriously as Morgan chats away in absolute gibberish.

''I see,'' Tony says seriously. ''And what do you propose we do about that?''

Morgan jabbers again, batting the knot of Tony’s tie.

''Ah, yes! A very interesting suggestion, I like it. But what about the variables?''

His face is aglow with pride as Morgan looks at him, like she’s taking in his words and considering them, before launching into another stream of screechy babbling that ends with her trying to gum his chin.

''You got guts, kid,'' Tony chuckles, one eye closing as Morgan gnaws on him, ''you’re definitely gonna go far.''

From behind the camera, there’s a laughing sigh as Harley says ''You’re an idiot,'' and turns the camera off.

**CUT**

VID_149 from album MORGAN begins with a horrendously loud rustling, and then Tony’s shouting as the camera focuses.

''Pep! Pep! C’mere!''

A chubby cheeked Morgan comes into focus, dribbling and grinning wide enough to show off her gums. She’s on her feet and wobbling precariously, looking over at a spot just above the camera with bright eyes.

''Da!''

''That’s it, baby. You can do it!'' Tony’s voice increases in volume again. ''PEP! GET IN HERE AND SEE WHAT OUR GENIUS DAUGHTER CAN DO!''

The image goes crazy as Tony drops the phone. It lands sideways, the camera titled just enough to see Morgan take two more steps forward before toppling into Tony’s waiting arm with a triumphant shriek, which rapidly turns into baby-sweet giggles as Tony covers her face in kisses.

**CUT**

VID_201 from album MORGAN shows a snowy winter wonderland.

''What do you think, baby? Huh? What do you think?''

The video follows Tony as he walks around the yard. Morgan is bundled up in a red coat and a blue hat and scarf. Her chubby face is alight with fascination as she watches the snow swirling through the air, one gloved hand reaching out towards the flakes with a soft coo.

Tony laughs as a fleck lands on her little nose and he immediately kisses it off, smiling as she bats at his face.

**CUT**

VID_249 from album MORGAN is filmed at a a selfie angle, showing Tony sitting beside Morgan in her bouncy chair in her bedroom.

''Can you say Daddy?''

Morgan babbles, making a little grunting sound as she reaches for Tony’s ear.

''No, honey, I need that,'' he says as he tilts away. ''Say Dad-dy. Daaadeeee.''

Morgan spots herself in the screen of the phone and squeals, leaning forward so only her eyes are visible.

''Now, see, I know you and your mommy _says_ you’re gonna see her name first, but you and I know different, don’t we? Huh?'' Tony says, moving the camera away so they’re both in frame again. ‘’So come on, baby, say – ''

''NEB!''

Tony’s eyes go so wide that the faint lines around them disappear. His mouth drops as he looks at Morgan and then at something off camera.

''Did she just – ''

''NEB!!'' Morgan grunts, gnashing her gums together and making a grabbing motion with her hands. Tony looks back at her, a surprised laugh escaping him.

''Well, there you go.''

The camera flips to show Nebula standing in the doorway, looking a bit shell shocked herself.

''How’s it feel, Bluebell? My own daughter loves you more than me.''

Nebula’s eyes shift to the camera and her lips twitch. ''Can’t say I blame her.''

The video goes dark as it topples back to Tony’s pained gasp and quiet sniggering.

**CUT**

PIC 579 from album MORGAN has a water droplet in the corner. Morgan is sat in the bathtub. Her hair is full of bubbles and half of it is slicked up into a long mohawk. Tony is perched on the edge of the bath, his goatee a dripping mess of foam. He has his arms held up as Morgan points at him, both of their faces creased with laughter.

**CUT**

PIC 623 shows Morgan, dressed in a pair of pink overalls, standing on a little red stool. She is holding a spanner and has a pencil behind her ear. Tony is in the middle of brushing a thumb over her cheek, attention completely on her and not on the blueprints that are barely visible on the workbench behind them. Harley is standing behind Morgan, a hand resting protectively on her back as he watches Tony.

**CUT**

VID_398 from the album MORGAN is taken from a low angle in the living room of the cabin.

'' – and THEN Spider-Man came flying through the air – ''

Morgan is clutching her blanket close to her chest, sitting in Tony’s lap with her eyes fixed on him as he tells the story, arms moving at a furious pace to illustrate the narrative.

'' – people were cheering loudly as he swooped in, knocking the bad guy flat on his ass – ''

''Daddy! Bad word!''

''Sorry, kiddo, you’re right,'' Tony winces sheepishly. ''Anyway! He knocks the bad guy flat on his _butt,''_ he pauses and waits for Morgan’s little nod of approval, ''and then turns to give the _other_ bad guy a whack on the head – ''

''Yay Spider-Man!''

Tony pauses, a dreadfully broken shadow passing over his face for the merest flicker of a second before he schools it back into a tender smile. ''Exactly right, baby. Yay Spider-Man.''

**CUT**

The camera slowly pans around the living room, capturing every detail of the transformed space.

The blanket fort is elaborate and structurally complex. Sheets of all different colours and sizes are draped and stretched in various ways, creating a large canopy that falls into a shelter, complete with a small door in the form of a floral pillowcase fastened to the edges of the sheets.

As the camera approaches, the voices inside fall to hushed whispers. There’s a rustling and a movement in the fort before Tony’s head pokes out. His hair is a mess and there’s a pink feather boa around his neck. He looks up at the camera and raises his eyebrow questioningly.

''Yes, dear?''

There’s a snort of laughter. ''Permission to enter?''

''You’ll have to ask the dungeon master.'' Tony ducks back inside. ''Lord Morguna, what say you?''

There’s the briefest of pauses. ''Permiss’on gwanted.''

Tony’s head appears again and he grins. ''Come on in.''

The camera follows Tony through a small, colourful tunnel and into an open space full of cushions and fancy-dress items. Morgan is nestled in the middle, wearing an Iron Man pyjama set and a bowler hat. A small projector beams a shower of stars up onto the blanket ceiling, making everything seem both cosy and otherworldly.

Morgan looks over at the camera just as Tony settles in beside her, immediately pulling her in close.

''Hi, Mommy!''

Smiling adoringly, Tony kisses Morgan’s forehead just as the video ends.

**CUT**

Rhodey is slumped against the wall somewhere in the compound, head tilted back in sleep. Nebula is beside him, back ramrod straight even in slumber, her head only lolling slightly to the left.

Tony comes into view. He’s holding a blanket in his hands. At the sound of his footsteps, Rhodey stirs and cracks open an eye. Tony offers him a smile which he returns tiredly before closing his eyes again.

Tony bends to gently throw the blanket over Nebula. She immediately jerks at the contact and lurches forward with a snarl, disturbing Rhodey who throws an arm out protectively.

''Easy, easy, shh,'' Tony soothes, resting a hand on her shoulder which immediately relaxes under his tough. ''Just me.''

Rhodey settles back down but Nebula looks up into Tony’s face for a moment, seemingly searching for something, before she sighs and leans back again, eyes closing once more.

**CUT**

IMG 145 is taken in the lab at the compound from some distance away. Nebula is perched on the workbench, a panel on her shoulder is open and sparks are flying from it. Tony stands just to her left, a tool in either hand. He’s recoiling slightly with a sheepish smile on his face. Nebula is levelling an nonthreatening scowl at him.

**CUT**

PIC 1231 from album MORGAN is a cute little scene. A small table for two sits in the middle of the shot with two steaming plates of spaghetti and a pink candle on it. On the left side of the table is Morgan, her face alight with a blushing laugh and her right hand extended across the table, held in Tony’s gentle grasp. He is leaning forward, sitting at an angle on his chair so that he can stretch his legs, and is brushing a smiling kiss to the back of her fingers.

**CUT**

The camera is sat on the table, looking directly at Tony who is sitting in the middle of the couch, hands clasped and hanging low between his knees.

''Hey, kid.''

He looks gaunt, haggard with dark, tired eyes.

But there’s something else, a gleam of light that can only be hope peeking through the gloom.

''I…I figured it out,'' his words come out in a rush and he runs a palm over his face, fingers resting on his chin. ''Time travel. Travelling through time. Going back – you get the idea.''

A weak smile crosses his features. ''No DeLorean in sight though, kid, sorry to say.''

Tony stares into the camera for a moment, gaze wet but steady.

''I’m coming for you, Underoos. I swear, just – '' he takes a deep breath, '' – just hold on a little bit longer, okay?''

There’s a long pause where Tony looks down at his feet, shoulders bouncing a little as he taps his feet on the ground.

''I don’t know if I’ll be here after we do what we do, bud. I wish I could promise that I will be but, hey, the universe is a real asshole and it’s sure as hell bit me enough times over the years, so…'' his mouth twitches wryly at the corner, ''in the event of an untimely death, I need you to know…''

Tony stops again to take another deep, shudder of a breath. He looks away for a moment, staring at something off to the side before looking back again.

''I love you, Pete. And I’m sorry it took so damn long for me to tell you that.''

He reaches forward to stop the recording, giving one last glimpse of the determined set of his jaw and the sparkling shine of tears in his eyes before everything goes black.

**CUT**

The image flickers with blue static before a screeching crash of sound bursts across the audio, accompanied by wet, ragged rasps. Everything continues to shake and spin as the camera whirls this way and that.

''Hey, hey, Queens! You alright?''

The filthy and blood smeared face of Steve Rogers comes into view.

''Wha – did – '' Peter coughs harshly, making everything wobble again. ''Did we win?''

''Yeah, yeah,'' Steve’s face becomes instantly younger with a disbelieving smile of relief, ''yeah, we did it.''

Peter’s rasping breaths don’t let up as he turns; there’s a brief glimpse of Thor, leaning heavily against Stormbreaker, and Bruce’s exhausted form walking over, but mostly it’s a whirl of devastation and shellshock and smoke.

''Where is – where’s Mister Stark?''

Steve’s searching face appears a few more times before the feed comes to land on two figures, almost hidden amongst the smouldering wreckage of the compound. There’s a heavy gasp as Rhodey hauls an injured Tony to his feet, clutching him tightly with both arms around his waist. The right side of Tony’s face is a mess of black and silver and his right arm hangs limply by his side, a frighteningly congealed muddle of metal and skin.

_''Mister Stark!''_

Tony’s head shoots up instantly and the image blurs as Peter rushes forward, footage shaking with his pace, catching more snatches of the destruction around them before his arms come into sight, reaching for Tony who takes a wobbly step away from Rhodey and holds out his one good arm in return.

The footage flickers into blackness as the mask of the Iron Spider suit retracts but the audio carries on.

There’s a thud, Rhodey cursing and Peter’s relentless crying.

''Oh, jeez, fuck – _kid, kid – ‘''_ Tony’s broken voice comes through loudly.

''Mister Stark,'' Peter whimpers. There’s the repetitive sharp _ting_ of metal upon metal over the nearby crackling of fire and growing chorus of triumphant voices. '' _Tony – ''_

''I’m here, kiddo.'' Tony replies and then he’s crying softly, the noise muffled. ''I’m here.''

The audio eventually cuts out to the sound of Tony’s gentle reassurances and Peter’s breathless sobs.

**CUT**

The feed is coming from a corridor in a private medical wing. The angle is wide and clean. The atmosphere is chaos with medical professionals and injured superheroes rushing or being rushed in and out of the doors at either end.

Tony, propped on a gurney and muttering grumpily, is being hurried along with Pepper at his side. She’s still wearing the Rescue suit and is berating Tony with a tender smile on her face.

They’re just about to clear the doors when there’s a commotion at the other end, making them pause.

Peter, wearing a baggy sweatshirt over his original Spider-Man suit, is trying to shove his way past two doctors. Rhodey and Happy are with him, arguing with the men as they try to usher Peter out of the corridor. 

''Young man, you can’t be here – ''

''Can’t you just let him in for a second, he only wants to – ''

''Sir, we’re about to enter surgery – ''

''Mister Stark! Mister Sta – let go! Please let me go, I need – _Mister Stark!''_

Tony, hearing the distressed cries, immediately lurches upright on the gurney and nearly falls off the side, only held back by Pepper’s quick reaction. His expression is immediately thunderous as he sees Peter, injured and crying, struggling to pull himself away from the doctors holding onto him.

''Pete – hey! Let him through!''

''Sir, please, you are extremely – ''

Pepper looks pained. ''Tony – ''

'' _Mister Stark!''_ Peter reaches out with a hand.

''Hey hey hey! I said let him through!''

Tony swivels fully round on the gurney just as Happy firmly moves one of the doctors aside, allowing Peter to rush forward. He hurries to Tony, grabbing the man’s hand before hooking his arms around Tony’s waist and pressing his face into Tony’s chest. Pepper immediately pushes back on Tony’s shoulder until he’s lying down, Peter following so that he’s half crouched with one leg dangling over the edge, Tony being the only thing preventing him from falling off.

''Sir, this is – ''

Pepper’s stern look is all it takes to stop the conversation. Tony whispers things into Peter’s hair as the kid trembles, keeping him close as they are wheeled through the doors and out of sight.

**CUT**

The security footage from the hospital room captures the moment Morgan is reunited with Tony. It’s just the two of them, Pepper and Happy in the room. Tony barely has time to sit up before the little girl is upon him, covering his uninjured cheek with kisses while he buries his face in her hair and lets out a weak little huff of air that sounds very much like a sob.

''Daddy, what happened to your face?'' Morgan asks, hugging him tightly round the neck.

''Well, Morguna, I gotta tell ya,'' Tony says as he leans back against the pillows, tired face softening as he looks at her. ''The fairies came and said I was too beautiful.''

Morgan gasps, eyes going big. At the bedside, Pepper and Happy fight to hide their smiles.

''Did they take your arm too?''

''Yup, ‘fraid so.''

‘’Assholes.’’

‘’Morgan!’’ Pepper scolds just as Tony erupts into wild, free laughter.

**CUT**

PIC 324 is a shot of Peter sitting on a chair in Tony’s hospital room. His face is lightly bruised and there are purple bags of tiredness under his eyes. He’s smiling brightly, the tears in his eyes doing nothing to diminish the joy in his expression as the little girl in his lap holds him tightly, her back to the camera and her arms around his neck. A few small fingers peek out from just behind his head, like she’s been playing with his hair.

**CUT**

More footage from the hospital shows Tony sitting up in bed with countless monitors surrounding him. Various wires lead out of his body and there’s a thick, creamy salve coating the burns on his skin. Peter and Rhodey are sat beside him and they’re talking quietly.

The door to the room crashes open, revealing a heavily breathing Harley and a red faced Happy. A loud gasp fills the room as Peter moves away from Tony and takes a little step towards the young man who he had been a boy the last time they’d seen each other. 

''H-Harley?''

Harley immediately bolts at Peter and the two of them collide in a fierce embrace, hands grabbing frantically at each other and bodies wobbling precariously as they fight for a tighter hold. Their combined voices are a garbled mess that sends a funny buzzing through the audio.

And then Tony is trying to shuffle himself out of the bed, only to be nearly tipped backwards as Harley skids to a halt in front of him and throws his arms around him. Peter rapidly joins them, ignoring Happy and Rhodey’s demands for them to be careful. One of the boys is crying but it’s hard to tell who as Tony shushes them both, his remaining arm around Harley and chin resting on Peter’s head, rocking a little from side to side as they hold each other close.

**CUT**

The hospital room is empty except for Tony’s still form in the bed. The lights are low and the only sound is the steady beeping from a monitor.

The door creaks open and Peter’s head pokes in. He takes a quick look around before stepping inside, whispering an ''okay, the coast is clear!'' over his shoulder as he does so.

He moves to the side and Dum-E rolls into the room, Nebula following closely behind. She looks furtively out into the hallway before closing the door. Dum-E beeps softly, extends his arm curiously and then freezes as he spots Tony lying in the bed.

Dum-E squeals with happiness and barges past Peter as he tries to shush him, heading straight for the bed which he crashes into with a heavy clang, immediately waking Tony.

''Wha – huh – I – Oh, _god,''_ Tony groans, settling back and eyeing the bouncing bot with narrow eyes. ''Hey, hey, buddy, you miss me?''

Dum-E coos at him, claw reaching out to latch onto Tony’s shirt. Tony snorts and lifts a hand to pet him on the arm.

''Yeah, yeah, I missed you too, you oversized can opener.''

Tony turns his attention to Peter, gives him a lazy smile as the kid hops gently onto the end of the bed, and then his expression brightens even more as he catches sight of Nebula.

''Nebs! About time you came for a visit!''

**CUT**

Morgan’s little tent comes into view as the camera approaches, footsteps falling softly onto the grass. Light snoring can be heard coming from inside. A hand reaches out and moves the door flap to the side, revealing the sleeping occupants. Tony is sprawled on his back, a dressing on his face and an arm comprised of vivid red and gold armour resting on his stomach. His other arm is loosely draped around Morgan; her face is buried into Tony’s shoulder and covered by her hair. Tony lets out a particularly loud snort and the person filming stifles a chuckle.

**CUT**

The video is blurry for about thirty seconds before it sharpens, bringing Rhodey’s face into view. The noise over the audio is impressively loud, full of shouting and cheering. He’s wearing a cap backwards and waves a foam finger at the camera before turning it to the side, revealing Nebula and Tony who are sitting next to him. They are wearing matching hockey jerseys and Tony is holding a half-eaten hot dog. Their eyes are fixed ahead, Nebula’s shoulders are tensing up and Tony is muttering rapidly under his breath before they, along with the crowd, jump up cheering. Tony hooks an arm over Nebula’s shoulder and gives her a gleeful kiss on the head, squeezing her tight and bouncing on his feet as she huddles in closer with a pleased grin.

**CUT**

A second clip from the same setting shows the crowd erupting into furious jeering and howls for blood. Rhodey cackles as Nebula lets out a snarl of rage, seizes the hot dog that Tony has lifted halfway towards his mouth, and launches it forwards as Tony whines in protest. The camera watches it sail towards the rink where sticks and gloves are being cast aside in favour of fists as a brawl breaks out upon the ice.

''Amateurs,'' Nebula snorts in disdain as the camera pans back to her, sinking in her chair with her arms folded. Tony rolls his eyes fondly before nudging her shoulder with his.

''You wanna spar later, huh? You can kick my ass. Might make you feel better?''

Nebula considers it before shrugging. ''No. I’d just feel guilty when I break you.''

''Aw, Bluebell,'' Tony grins cheekily at the camera as he speaks, ''it’s so nice to know I’m exempt from your little bouts of rage.''

Nebula rolls her eyes but smiles at him when she meets his gaze.

**CUT**

IMAGE 3432 shows the couch in the living room. Tony is slouched in the middle of it, head tilted back and mouth open in a fraction in a snore.

One his left side is Peter, tucked firmly against him with his head resting just under Tony’s chin and an arm curled tightly around the man’s waist. On his right is Harley, stretched out with his head resting on a pillow at the opposite end of the couch and his feet in Tony’s lap, the toes on his right foot covered with Tony’s hand.

**CUT**

IMAGE 3945 displays the glistening lake on a sunny afternoon.

Tony sits in a giant rubber ring, shades covering his eyes and a glass of something pink with a straw in his left hand.

IMAGE 3946, taken twenty seconds later, shows Tony’s bedraggled head poking up over the side of the ring, shades askew and an empty glass clutched between his fingers. Behind him in the water, Harley’s head is thrown back in wild laughter.

**CUT**

''Daddy? Where’s your arm?''

The video is black for a moment before the picture comes in just after Morgan asks the question.

Tony makes a show of looking down at the empty space where his artificial arm usually hangs and gasps loudly. He glances mischievously up at the camera as he says dramatically, ''I don’t know!''

The camera looks over to where Morgan and Harley are sat on the couch together. Nebula is sitting in one of the armchairs, watching with a smirk. Above Harley’s head on the ceiling is Peter, holding the arm and trying hard not to laugh. He glances up, checking for the go ahead, and drops the arm between Harley and Morgan.

The video shakes as Harley looks up and immediately flies off the couch with a yelp, crashing over the coffee table and into Nebula’s lap, who shoves him away with a fond ''idiot,'' before laughing along with Tony’s contagious cackling. Morgan doesn’t move; instead she looks over at her father, deadpan as an almost five-year-old can be and pokes her tongue out at him.

**CUT**

The video shakes terribly to the tune of echoing laughter and stumbling footsteps.

Tony’s tanned face is creased in a badly suppressed smile as he walks up a set of stairs. ''If you don’t get out of my way, this isn’t ever gonna happen.''

''I’m sorry,'' the camera wobbles as May giggles a little. ''He’s just gonna be so excited.''

''More excited than you?''

''Just hurry up!''

Tony gives her a look through the camera as they reach the apartment door. May pulls away so that the shot is of Tony’s back and the closed door. With one last look back, Tony lifts a hand and knocks smartly.

'' _Coming!''_

May sucks in a happy squeal just as the door opens to reveal Peter. His expression immediately morphs into one of wide-eyed shock before he gives an excited yell of ''you’re back!'' and launches himself at Tony. The man stumbles back with a groan but immediately hooks his arms around the kid, pivoting on the spot to reveal the beaming grin on his own face.

**CUT**

Peter is sprawled out on the dock like a starfish, dozing in the bright summer sunshine. His hair is a mess of wet, damp curls. The person filming looms over him and angles the camera so that his face fills the screen. His skin is sun-kissed and healthy and there’s a light pattern of freckles on his nose. A few hunks of hair are matted to his forehead. As the shadow of the phone falls over his face, Peter cracks open an eye.

''Hey, bud.''

''Hey,'' Peter replies, smiling sleepily.

''You hungry?''

''Mm,' Peter hums, shutting his eye again with a content sigh.

''Happy’s whipped up some of those lobster rolls you like so much.''

''Mmm,'' Peter drawls out before yawning widely.

Tony chuckles, making the camera shake. ''If you don’t move quick, kiddo, our resident demigod will eat your portion. He’s a bottomless pit you know, just can’t help himself.''

Peter snorts. '''S’okay. You won’t let ‘im.''

Tony sighs fondly and Peter opens both eyes to grin up at him. ''No, Underoos. I won’t let him.''

**CUT**

The footage is from a phone. A green dinosaur puppet is angled to the side, making it look as though things are being filmed from its perspective. The words DINO CAM flash up in big red letters as it moves down the outdoor stairs of the cabin, creeping up on the small girl sat at the bottom playing with her toys.

A screeching roar is heard and Morgan looks up, spots the dinosaur and immediately runs off with a laughing scream, stumbling away in a funny little run. The dinosaur pursues her, snapping its jaw and making all manner of horrific noises that makes Morgan screech even louder as it gains on her. She hurtles towards the garage, her high-pitched cry of ''Daddy!'' immediately bringing Tony out into view.

The man barely has time to question what’s going on before the dinosaur is on him, chomping at his neck with wild abandon. Morgan erupts into more giggles as Peter chuckles brightly from behind the camera. Tony merely regards the dinosaur with an impassive stare before walking back into the garage, muttering under his breath.

The dinosaur curls its head round to look at the camera, shrugs, and then shoots after Morgan again.

**CUT**

The video shows nothing but a bedroom door slightly ajar with a soft glow of light peeking out from the gap. A gentle murmuring can be heard from the other side.

''– _there’s none can save you now, missy.’ Mullins hissed jeeringly,''_ Tony reads in a low growl before changing his voice. '' _There’s one,’ replied the figure,’''_ he added in a pitched tone.

The door creaks open a fraction and the camera peeks round, revealing the inside of Morgan’s bedroom. Tony has his back to the camera and is positioned at the head of Morgan’s bed. The little girl’s dark hair is barely visible by his right shoulder. Peter, Harley and Nebula are also in the room. Nebula is sat on a chair backwards, head resting on her arms as she listens; Harley is stretched out on the floor looking half asleep and Peter is at the foot of the bed, eyes wide as he listens intently with a small grin on his face.

 _''Who’s that?''_ Tony rasps and there’s a pause that has Nebula sitting upright with the desire to know. 

_''Peter Pan the avenger!''_ Tony nearly yells triumphantly. Morgan gasps and Peter jumps in excitement, his grin now almost blinding. On the floor, Harley smirks knowingly.

The camera lingers for another moment or so as Tony reads on, his voice a perfect melody of storytelling.

'' _Proud and insolent youth,''_ Tony snarls, brandishing his arm with a curled pointer finger, '' _prepare to meet they doom.''_

He fiddles his fingers to make them fold around the hilt of an imaginary sword. '' _Dark and sinister man,’ Peter answered, ‘have at thee.''_

There’s another enraptured gasp from the eager listeners and the camera goes dark just after a hushed little giggle is heard.

**CUT**

Whoever is filming has set the camera down low, making the ice cream sundae on the table look impressively large. Only the bowl and half of the tower of colourful scoops is in shot. Nebula’s face slowly appears on the left side, creeping into view as she stares at the dessert, face impassive but eyes wide.

There’s movement off screen and then a spoon is held out towards her. She glances at it and then looks up at the person holding it.

''Is…is it all for me?'' Nebula asks uncertainly.

''Sure is,'' Tony assures, waving the spoon.

She reaches out to take it and holds it like she’s about to do battle.

''Well, what are you waiting for, Nebs?'' Tony’s voice teases gently. ''Dig in.''

**CUT**

PIC_1567 is of a smugly smiling Tony and a rather sickly-looking Nebula. The bowl in the middle of the table is empty.

**CUT**

The feed is from inside Stark Tower. There are moving boxes all over the place and everything is in disarray. In the middle of the kitchen floor sits Nebula, surrounded by various pots and pans of all different sizes and a collection of cutlery. Tony is stretched out beside her, head resting on a roll of kitchen paper. There’s rapid movement all around them as people rush in and out, carrying various boxes and pieces of furniture and unpacking things as they shout to one another. Nebula watches in quiet fascination for a while before looking down at Tony. Whatever he says isn’t heard over the clamour but it leads to Nebula whacking him on the stomach with a wooden spoon, making him flinch away with laughter.

**CUT**

The camera is on Tony who is plucking a piece of candy from an overflowing bowl of treats. He holds it up to the camera and grins before unwrapping it and sticking it in his mouth. Taking the camera from whoever is holding it, Tony turns it to face away from him as he heads out of the kitchen and towards the living room of the cabin. Peter is on the couch with Cassie and Cooper whilst Nate, Lila and Morgan sit together on the floor.

The camera closes in on them rapidly as Tony gives a loud groan of satisfaction.

''Mm! Oh, yeah, this is so good!'' he declares, voice sounding thick as he chews the sticky sweet.

Multiple eyes lift to regard him suspiciously.

''What are you doing?'' Peter asks in a low tone.

''I just ate all your leftover Halloween candy.''

Furious shrieking and yelling accompanies the surge of angry, candy deprived youngsters flying towards him. The camera pivots to show Tony’s face, creased with laughter as he tries to run, only to stumble and let go of the phone as he hits the floor. His pleas for mercy are swiftly muffled as Peter crashes into him first, quickly followed by the others as they declare a desire for revenge.

**CUT**

Footage from the cabin surveillance shows a shivering Peter huddled on the couch. The blankets covering him tremble steadily and his hair is the only truly visible part of him. Tony comes into view, holding a glass of water and a bowl from which a thick cloud of steam rises.

''Pete?'' he whispers as he sets the items onto the table. ''You awake, bud?''

Peter moans pathetically, voice raspy and hitched.

''Aw, kiddo.''

Tony sets the bowl and glass on the coffee table and sits on the couch, gently lifting Peter so that the kid is sitting upright, leaning back against Tony’s shoulder.

''Think you can eat something for me?''

Peter lets out a pained whimper and turns his head into the crook of Tony’s neck. Tony immediately wraps him up in a hug, purposefully resting the cool metal fingers of his artificial hand against Peter’s sweaty forehead, earning a deep sigh of relief for the gesture.

''Shh, shh,'' Tony whispers, giving Peter a kiss on his temple. '''S’okay, Underoos, you’re alright…''

Peter sniffles and curls further into him.

**CUT**

The video comes to being in the middle of a snowball fight. Rhodey’s laughter can be heard from behind the camera as he ducks behind a pile of logs, the view twisting so that the war zone is clearly visible. Peter is hanging upside down from a tree by his feet, the tails of his scarf hanging by his red face as he hurls snow in every direction, laughing with abandon. Morgan is on Harley’s shoulders, wearing an Iron Man mask and clutching a plastic Captain America shield in front of herself. Harley has to duck his head to see past it as he jogs around, one hand holding Morgan’s left leg and the other clutching a small collection of snowballs. Happy emerges from the side of the house, looking all kinds of unimpressed as he shuffles along. Tony is behind him, clutching his own pile of snow and peering round the man covertly as they cross the yard.

''Hey!'' Peter shouts. ''That’s cheating!''

''Don’t blame me, kid!'' Happy gripes. ''This is the last place I wanna be, believe me!''

''You’re a bodyguard!'' Tony snaps, head retreating back as a small ball of snow whizzes past. ''This is literally your job, to guard my body.''

Happy pauses, looks over his shoulder at Tony, and then steps aside, leaving the other man open to attack.

''Hey!'' Tony can barely show his shock before the delighted laughter of the kids alerts him to their rapid approach. ''Oh you are so fired,'' he grumbles as the snowballs begin to fly.

**CUT**

Peter’s face comes into view. Beside him is Tony, looking only slightly frustrated. Behind them is row after row of people on what appears to be a rollercoaster. Their hair flickers in the breeze and the angle tilts as they begin to move, climbing at a slant.

''You ready?'' Peter asks, his grin manic and excited.

Tony snorts and settles back, one arm behind Peter. ''Watch you don’t drop that phone.''

''I thought you said Stark phones were indestructible?''

''They are, hence if it hits somebody on the head…'' Tony makes a ‘clunk’ sound with his tongue and Peter pulls a face.

''Ew.''

Thor’s face pops into view in the gap between Peter and Tony. He grins excitedly as Tony glances back at him and then sits back, allowing for a glimpse of a nervous looking Bruce in the seat beside him.

The camera tilts again and Peter gives an excited shriek of ''here we go!'' before they’re hurtling downwards, the video vibrating as Peter’s entire body shakes with the speed of the ride. His eyes are squeezed shut and he’s yelling while Tony is wildly laughing, the arm behind Peter hooking around to hold him by the shoulder. Thor’s booming exclamations of joy are loud as they all tilt to the side, and Bruce’s furious swearing is even louder when they tip upside down. Their hair whips wildly and at one point everybody (except Bruce) throws their hands into the air as they shoot through a tunnel.

Then, everything goes blurry and Peter’s cry of ''oh shit!'' is quickly lost on the air as the phone falls, the wind rushing past it with a furious crackling sound, the picture turning green as it hits the grass below with a thud, bounces, and then all that’s visible is the sky.

''I got it!'' Steve’s face briefly comes into view after a short while before the camera is lifted and turned to look up at the rollercoaster. It’s impossible to make out who anybody is, but Tony and Peter’s laughter is still loud and clear over the audio.

**CUT**

The camera zooms out to show Morgan, dressed in a Stitch onesie, pressed up against the glass of a gigantic walrus enclosure. On the other side, one of the giant beasts presses his face against the glass where her hand is, making her giggle in delight.

''Wow!'' she gasps, turning to look behind her. ''Did’ya see that, Daddy?''

The camera shifts over to where Tony is standing. People are bustling all around him and the sun is shining brightly, picking up the flecks of grey in his hair. He is dressed in a tiger onesie and holding a takeout cup of coffee. Shades cover his eyes and there’s a smile on his face.

''I see it, baby. Pretty cool, huh?''

''Can we take him home? He can live in the lake.''

Tony’s head turns, like he’s looking at the person holding the camera, and there’s a soft snort from behind it. ''I think he’d get a bit lonely without his friends.''

Morgan looks at the walrus, looks at Tony, then back at the walrus again.

''Can’t we get one of his friends too?''

Harley laughs off-screen and Tony sighs before taking a massive gulp of coffee.

**CUT**

IMG 856 is taken from inside the zoo. Nebula is standing with her head tilted back with one arm extended, palm flat to display the pellets she’s holding. A giraffe towers over her, head bent towards her with a long tongue poking out curiously. The look on Nebula’s face is one of wide-eyed wonder.

Tony is stood behind her, hands on her shoulders and grinning excitedly.

**CUT**

The next picture is a selfie of Tony and Harley with their arms around each other, grease smeared faces luminous with satisfied grins. A fully restored hot rod red Camaro classic is parked outside the garage, bodywork gleaming in the sunshine.

**CUT**

The camera bobs up and down and there’s the soft splashing sound of water lapping against something. Childish laughter can be heard in the background.

Clint and Tony are stood on the dock, both wearing extremely ‘loud’ swimming trunks and faded t-shirts. Clint is holding a bottle of beer and Tony has his arms folded, red metal gleaming in the sunshine. At Tony’s feet sits Nebula, looking a little strange in a soft pink top and a pair of flowery shorts that she’s borrowed from Pepper. Her legs are dangling over the edge and she’s holding a book in her hands.

''Look, man, I’m telling you, all we gotta do is get Cap’s shield. It’ll be better than a pair of water skis.''

Tony snorts. ''Go ahead and be my guest, birdbrain,'' he drops down next to Nebula. ''What you reading, Cornflower?''

**CUT**

IMG 6798 CAMERA ROLL shows Tony sitting beside Nebula, mirroring her position of hanging his legs over the side of the dock, toes brushing the surface of the lake. His mouth is open like he’s talking and her face is turned fully towards him, like she’s listening intently.

Clint is gone, but there’s a faint collection of ripples in the water by the edge of the dock.

**CUT**

The picture is another selfie. Tony is sprawled in one of his favourite rubber ring and wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Peter hangs off the side of the inflatable, one eye closed against the glare of the sunshine and a happy smile on his lips. 

**CUT**

The picture is from yesterday evening. Tony is perched on the dock with his legs hanging over the edge. His back is to the camera. On his left is Peter and Nebula and on his right is Morgan and Harley. They’re leaning into one another, all pressing in towards Tony, not an inch of space to be seen between them. The sky before them is brushed with gorgeous steaks of red and orange and the outline of their bodies stands out starkly against the golden surface of the sparkling lake.

Though their faces can’t be seen, it’s clear that they’re happy.

There’s a pause before a collection of words flicker across the image.

_'' Happy birthday to the greatest dad – thank you for always being there.''_


	3. Chapter 3

The projection fades and the room darkens a fraction as the glow from the holographic table shuts down. Tony finds that he can’t quite move except to blink rapidly; the wetness in his eyes had appeared less than halfway through the film, but now the tears are escaping and he isn’t quite sure what to do first.

Peter’s hesitant ''Tony?'' helps him make a decision and he turns and pulls the kid towards him, wrapping him up in an embrace that has Peter squeaking slightly under the force of it. He holds on just as tightly, fingers sticking to the back of Tony’s shirt and his face pressing into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

''What is it with you kids turning me into a leaky faucet, huh?'' Tony grumbles, kissing Peter on the temple. '''S’just rude, kiddo.''

''Does that mean you liked it?''

''Look at my face, Pete,'' Tony says as he leans back, swiping the tears away with his thumb. ''What do you think?''

Peter laughs softly before a shadow of uncertainty falls over him, sending his fingers into a little dance with one another.

''I just wanted to do something, y’know, a bit different but, like, meaningful, I guess. To show how much I love you – '' Peter freezes as the last three words leave his mouth, looking a little stunned, like he isn’t quite sure he should have said them. He swallows and carries on before Tony can interject, '' - and I know I love you isn’t something we really say but I do – _we_ all do, I mean, and – ''

Tony lets him ramble on, watching him closely, savouring the moment of Peter just being _Peter._

It’s true that it isn’t something they really say; now that he thinks of it, Tony can’t recall a time that he’s said it to the kid apart from the moment shown in the video. He remembers hearing Peter whisper it to him as he drifted between asleep and awake after the surgery on his arm, but after that, it’s all been unsaid; little unspoken moments like the ones they've just watched, small gestures and soft touches and words that declare the same thing without actually saying it.

It confuses Tony greatly. This, what he feels right now as he looks at Peter, at his kid, is a love that is the end result of a slow burn, something that came to life in flickers before transforming into an all-consuming rush that only grew more palpable as time went on, as he came to understand just what being a father, what having children, truly meant.

He’s lived and nearly died for this love, cried and grieved and denied until his once ironclad barriers couldn’t hold it back and had to let it in, let it take over all that he knew and replace it with something warm, fierce and unconditional.

''Underoos,'' Tony’s voice is gentle and soft, the tone he discovered when he said his very first hello to Morgan. It stops Peter’s jabbering and the kid waits, looking at him with big, anxious eyes.

Tony reaches out and cups Peter’s cheek, clearing his throat as something overwhelming tugs at the back of it. He thinks of how hard it must have been for the kid to go back and look through moments where he didn’t even exist in the world, after he had been stolen away and held far from Tony’s reach, seemingly forever. It’s a clear example of Peter’s unfailingly generous nature that he would put himself through such a thing, place himself willingly on the back foot just so that he can do something good for someone else.

God, Tony _loves_ him. So damn much.

And the truth is, even after looking at the clips and pictures, after being reminded of a darker time before Peter was even a blip on his radar, Tony can’t clearly recall exactly what life was like before he loved him as ardently and as irrevocably as he does right now.

And that’s why the words all but skip out of his mouth in their eagerness to be heard.

''Kiddo, I love you,'' he says, voice catching on the most important word which has Peter drawing in a sharp breath, ''more than you could ever imagine.''

Peter’s laugh surprises Tony, but then he’s smiling as the kid beams at him, eyes shining with happy tears as he jerks a thumb at the now blank space where the projection had been. ''I think I’ve got a pretty good idea.''

Later on, after they’ve hugged a lot and cried it out and brushed off the questions about their impressively red eyes, they stand together in the yard, Morgan between them and Harley and Nebula on the other side of Tony, pressing in as close as they can so that Tony is essentially serving as the pillar for their little mismatched huddle. The fireworks turn the night sky a majestic rainbow of colour and rock the ground with the force of their bangs and Tony tucks Peter close as the kid lets out a startled laugh at an impressively loud rocket that erupts into a shower of blue and red. He leans in at an awkward angle to avoid squashing Morgan but manages to rest his head against Tony’s shoulder. Dum-E, who has somehow managed to get hold of a fire extinguisher, is hovering near to Steve and Bucky as they set off the rockets. His arm is craned back as far as it can go and he lets out a steady rhythm of excited trills as each firework escapes into the darkness.

''I still can’t believe you named it the Iron Dad Chronicles, you little shit,'' Tony mutters into Peter’s ear and closes his eyes with a grin as Peter chuckles into his neck.

''You should embrace it. Personally, I think it sounds way better than Iron Man.''

Tony tilts his head to catch Peter’s gaze and soaks in the happy smile on the boy’s face. He thinks of all the moments the kid re-gifted to him in the video, of all the days he was a dad without realising and all the times after that when it was as obvious as the sun in the sky. He glances at Harley and Nebula, taking in the childlike excitement on their faces; looks over at Dum-E and marvels fondly at the oddly human-like qualities of the bot as he wriggles with what can only be happiness; looks down at Morgan and feels his heart skip at the joyful delight in her eyes and then turns back to Peter, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

''You know what, kid? Me too.''

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically yet another love letter to Tony Stark because yes, even after seeing Far From Home, I still can't get over him being gone so this is me showing my denial in the form of a fic where he has multiple children and is the softest of the soft. 
> 
> I regret nothing. A fair few of the Morgan moments are based on the earlier days of my two year old boy, so I guess a lot of this was written with my mum brain firmly in gear haha. I genuinely struggle to accurately recall my life before my son and that's sort of what I was going for here in terms of what Tony feels. A couple, like the Harley and Tony moment on the red carpet, are taken from real life moments with the actors. The extract from Peter Pan is real and I've been DYING to use it for ages because of the avenger line, because how perfect is that?! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts. Also come chat with me on tumblr at ladynerdynerd :) Thanks!


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